Progressive Muslims: Friends of Imperialism And Neocolonialism
(Or: The blog formerly known as Progressive Muslim Union North America Debate)

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

a radical wrong way

Some friendly advise to my "traditional" sisters and brothers --- and I do mean friendly, 'cause I do think the "traditionalists" have a lot of good going (unlike the proggies, for whom I have little or no love at all) .

But lets be clear, taking money from a government that is the #1 friend of the #1 enemy of Muslims (the neo-cons) is not going to cut it... The radical middle way is a group that holds events that presents a primarily "traditional" Islamic point of view. This is all well and good, but this group gets most of its funding from the British home office:

The hardline approach is being pushed alongside a new covert weapon to win the propaganda war over the internet, Scotland on Sunday understands. A 'front' website (referring to the "radical middle way") designed to transmit a more moderate Islamic message to young Muslims has been set up.

Although the site is run to resemble a "grassroots initiative by Muslim organisations", a government document reveals that "most of its financial backing [is] from the Foreign Office and Home Office". Editors of the website have been encouraged to use podcasts to spread messages from 'Muslim roadshows'- government-funded national tours by moderate Islamic scholars.

The site also uses videos and other new technology to transmit its 'alternative message' to young Muslims - without indicating that it is effectively an arm of the British government.

Now, amongst UK Muslims, this news is not new - all of this is well known. And because the funding source is so well known, large segments of alienated British Muslims will not have anything to do with this group.

A UK govt. sponsored group is not going to win these folks a lot of friends. And if anything, such tactics will lead to even further alienation of young British Muslims - who will rightly point out that this kind of US/UK funded versions of Islam is just another strategy in the ongoing war on Islam.

I hope, strongly encourage and recommend that the organizations affiliated with radical middle way disown any and all fundings by the British govt. and/or dis-affiliate themselves from this group. Otherwise they are, quite frankly, headed down a radically wrong way.

Yes, I know this blog entry does not have anything to do with the proggies --- But remember the problem with them was not only how they viewed Islam, but also their affiliation and cozying up to the neo-cons. It would be very unfortunate if some of our respected, and otherwise well intentioned Islamic scholars also ended up going the same way.

I understand what you are saying regarding that TRMW's scholars are not pro bush/blair --- But the very fact that the organization that they are now affiliated with receives a major share of their funds from a govt. that is engaged in a war against Muslims is problematic enough.

If you look at their web site - there is not a single word about what the British govt. is doing in Iraq, Afghanistan, and their support for the Zionists against the Palestinians. Nor is there any word about civil rights violitions by the British govt. So, what kind of a "middle way" is this? It appears it is one where to be a Muslim is to merely do one's personal religion but not discuss the kind of acts the British govt. is engaged in overseas.

This is the problem with being funded by the British and/or US govt. You become dependent on their view - and have to thread very carefully so as not to offend, least you lose your funding.

Furthermore, why is that the British govt. is promoting particular visions and views on Islam? Does the British govt. also promote moderate Judaism? Moderate Hinduism? Are there similar Judaist and Hindu groups that present a "moderate" version of their religions? And why do the scholars (well intentioned, I'm sure) feel that it is necessary to participate in such a project? I have never seen Jewish groups go to the British and US govt. so that they could promote a say, anti-Zionist "moderate" Judaism>

These are important questions, and just cause these are respected Islamic scholars does not mean that questions cannot be raised about their public political positionings.

as well as their close cooperationand endorsements by both the Bush administration (immediately after 9/11) and the Blair govt. BEFORE and after 7/7. Indeed 9/11 was their sole claim to fame actually, specifically some of the more blatant grandstanding and racism showcased here:

3. All leads back to the RAND study originally on your frontpage and which specifically mentions "promoting sufism" as a way to "counter extremism" as well as this from someone who contributed to the RAND study and is on the Sufi Muslim Council as well:

what they have in common is that all our affiliated with Western universities and "academic" Islamic studies depts. many of which are specialists in advising govts. on how best to deal with Muslims/Islamboth domestically and internationally. It was very well exposed by Ahmad Ghorab in his book Subverting Islam, a review of which is here:

anonymous, does the so-called "radical middle way" get money from the home office of the British Govt.? How much of its funding does it get from the government?

when the Blair/Bush regimes have declared a war on Islam, do we, or do we not have the right to know about funding sources. we need full disclosure. Unfortunately some people get very defensive when accountability is demanded off them.

the realy iorny is that the "radical middle way" is getting money from a well known govt. that is engaged in slaughtering Muslims elsewhere, why?

if anyone needed any more proof that the proggies, the "traditional" sufis, and the Neo-cons were all branches of the same tree, this is a quote from a neo-con article on frontpagemag defending Bush's use of the term "Islamofascism". I believe that the quotes were added by the author for emphasis, but the fact that the zionists and neo-cons are gleefully using and quoting sufis (affiliated with the TRMW) to defend their actions (as not a war on Islam) and for arguments in attacking islam or any political manifestation of it speaks for itself.----------------------------------"What Qutb fails to inform his vanguard, however, is that the code of conduct he subsequently elaborated in his ‘commentary’ on the Koran matches that of Carrel much more than Muhammad’s own Traditions.’ The result is not an indigenous form of governance, but ‘a Third World version of (islamo)Fascism."